AAA Predicts Drop In Car Travel

AAA is forecasting that 39 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home during the Independence Day holiday weekend, a 2.5 percent decline from the 40 million people who traveled a year ago.

“AAA is projecting a decline in the number of holiday travelers mainly due to fuel prices being approximately one dollar higher than last year,” said Lloyd P. Albert, AAA Southern New England Senior Vice President of Public and Government Affairs. “Increased fuel costs are also responsible for a shift in the demographics of the typical Independence Day traveler as higher prices impact lower income households more significantly.”

The organizations’s projections are based on economic forecasting and research by IHS Global Insight, a Boston-based firm that first teamed with AAA in 2009 to jointly analyze travel trends during the major holidays. The complete AAA/IHS Global Insight 2011 Independence Day Holiday Travel Forecast can be found at AAA.com/news.

If you're planning to travel by car this weekend, here are the lowest prices around Johnston, based on information posted on rhodeislandgasprices.com at 8:30 a.m. on July 1:

Regular Unleaded:

Diesel:

Prices subject to change. Not responsible for changes in price following publication.